by Ernest Thompson Seton

In the next article I give directions for turning a grocery box into a
successful Council seat. Three other important things will complete the
possibility of Woodcraft atmosphere

The Council Rock, or Chief's seat.

The Fire, or its symbol in the center.

The Wall Hangings to hide discordant surroundings.

Because it is least understood, I shall treat the last of these first. There
is one simple and effective way of turning the saddest and ugliest of interior
walls into a thing of beauty and pleasant remembrance.

Get enough common, cheap, rough burlap to cover the walls all around from a
line 1 foot from the floor to a line 7 feet from the floor, that is 6 feet wide,
and in sections 9 feet long.

The burlap should be of the ordinary yellowish gray, without holes, but as
coarse grained as possible.

This is to be decorated with painted designs, but first let me turn aside and
lay down some principles for its decoration.

1st. Never use photographs or realistic pictures in this decoration. No one,
not even the cleverest artists, can make them successful.

2d. Always use symbols. No one can wholly fail with these. They have
furthermore an appeal to the imagination; they set it free to soar, while the
photographs chain it to to ground.

3d. Use very few and very quiet colors in flat tints. Some of the best have
been done in black, white, or red, with the ground color of the burlap
everywhere showing through. Some have added a little pale turquoise blue. A
great colorist could use the whole box with advantage, but let the beginners
stick to three, or at most four, low tone colors. Oil colors thinned with
kerosene are best.

4th. Do not try to make the tapestry--for that is what it is--one scene or a
picture, or anything but a record. Don't worry about perspective or any of the
limitations of realism. Make it a quiet-colored record in symbols, of events
that belong to your tribe, or Council Ring, and ever keep this strongly in
view--imitative realism will be certain to fail, symbolic record certain to
succeed.

With this in mind, let us by way of illustration design a tapestry, to record
the history of a certain tribe.

It was founded in 1902, first sun of Song moon, by Chief Black Wolf, who
lighted their first fire with rubbing sticks. Pine trees and a storm over them
are shown as well as four lodges besides the big lodge.

In 1903 a robin built a nest on their big teepee. In 1904 it formed an
alliance with the Y. M. C. A. In 1905 four of its members made a big canoe trip
and two deer came into camp.

Many more events are recorded, but can be read only by those who know the
history.

Four different styles of border are illustrated, but it is better to
keep it the same all around.

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Old School Scouting:
What to Do, and How to Do It!

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